When should kids learn to IRON?

[dizzi]

After reading the laundry thread, i was just curious about ironing. My kids DO NOT iron, i dont even think my older kids did till late HIGHSCHOOL. I worry about them burning themselves.
has anyone taught their kids to IRON?
IF so, what age?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I think I learned as a pre-teen or new teen b/c I helped my parents iron their uniforms (military).

So I would say--sometime after they are in double digits. Especially if you have already allowed them to take things out of a hot oven.

 

[meandtheguys2]

My 10 year old and my 12 year old both iron their stuff. I figure if I let them cook, target shoot, do woodwork, etc., then they know how to be careful of hot/dangerous things.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

IRON, what's an iron?

I iron maybe 6 times a year if I have a blouse that needs it. Needless to say, my children have not learned this skill from me. When they had home ec in middle school, I think they used an iron as part of their sewing class.

 

[kellyg403]

I agree, double digits. Though I have to say, I hate to iron so I have a tendancy to buy clothes that don't need too much ironing. I think we have had the same iron since the early 90's and it is still going strong. I break it out maybe 2 times a year. dd16 does iron on occasion but really only when she has a concert. But, she has started getting wise to not completely drying her clothes and hanging them up so they don't wrinkle. I have taught her well!

Kelly

 

[powellrj]

when the Army shows them how to!!! My kids think that when something needs to be ironed, you spray a little wrinkle release on it and throw it in the dryer for a few minutes!!

My oldest DS didn't learn how to iron until the Army showed him how to!

 

[DaisyD]

My kids send their stuff out to the dry cleaners. My DS has ironed a shirt once and decided from then on to let someone else do it.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

IRON, what's an iron?
I iron maybe 6 times a year if I have a blouse that needs it. Needless to say, my children have not learned this skill from me. When they had home ec in middle school, I think they used an iron as part of their sewing class.

Same here. I can't remember the last time I ironed.
Heck, we don't even have a full size ironing board.

 

[MELSMICE]

IRON, what's an iron?

Do they still make those outdated appliances!!??!!

I don't iron anything unless it's absolutely, positively 100% necessary for a nice evening out. I hate ironing.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I iron for "events"....picture day, weddings, funerals, girl scout stuff, job interviews, etc....

I am sure they will learn on their own when it becomes necessary. I know some people that still iron EVERYTHING! My SIL will iron all of her clothes after taking it out of her suitcase. She does not like even 1 wrinkle on her or her dd's clothes. However...she is a "cleaner" and likes doing it.

 

[RitaZ.]

you spray a little wrinkle release on it and throw it in the dryer for a few minutes!!

Does it work? I really want to know.

 

[slo]

My kids don't iron, and I rarely iron too.

I remember ironing my dad's handkerchiefs as a young girl, because I felt so grown up doing it. My mom let me because I wanted to, not because I had to.

 

[powellrj]

Does it work? I really want to know.

If its just wrinkled from hanging in the closet, it works great!! It just fluffs the clothes and gets the smashed looked gone! My friend makes her own wrinkle release by mixing fabric softner with 3 parts water. I have never tried it, but she swears by it!

 

[RitaZ.]

If its just wrinkled from hanging in the closet, it works great!! It just fluffs the clothes and gets the smashed looked gone! My friend makes her own wrinkle release by mixing fabric softner with 3 parts water. I have never tried it, but she swears by it!

That's good to know. Thanks!

 

[olena]

Mom made me start in 5th grade. I ironed some shorts that loved to wrinkle and I practiced on my father's work uniforms.

 

[KerriSue]

After reading some of the replies, I think Im a freak of nature. I iron everything. No undies or socks, but everything else.

My DD9 likes to iron so I let her iron undershirts and plain white tshirts and pillow cases. She gets a big kick out of it, she will learn.

 

[mepperson]

DD only sees me iron on her Brownie patches - lol. I don't think she knows that it can remove wrinkles!

When I was in high school... that was when it was important to have a nice clean crease down your jeans, and they had to be zipped using a hanger because they were so tight... anyway, I would iron and startch my jeans each morning before school. I would stand there in my bra and panties ironing, when one day I didn't pay attention and the iron was just a little too far off the edge of the board - burned myself right across my bare tummy!!! It was bad, even though it was very quick. Anyway, the burn was in the exact spot that my jeans buttoned. I was in pain AND I had to wear those tight jeans across the burn mark - not fun.

I don't know WHY I shared that, but I am hitting the submit button anyway - LOL.

 

[chasbos]

We do not even own an iron! So my kids will never learn how to iron.

We just buy clothes that do not wrinkle! DH's dress pants and shirts are all wrinkle resistant - as long as you take them out of the dryer immediately and hang them up. My dryer even has a wrinkle guard cycle on it and it will fluff the clothes every 5 or 10 minutes if I have not taken them out yet!

 

[Anne34]

IRON, what's an iron?

I iron maybe 6 times a year if I have a blouse that needs it. Needless to say, my children have not learned this skill from me. When they had home ec in middle school, I think they used an iron as part of their sewing class.

I agree!!! I have an iron, but no ironing board. Th couple times per year I need to iron, I do it on the kitchen counter!!! Whenever my husband wears a dress shirt(not often) it goes to the drycleaner for cleaning & pressing!!

 

[ducklite]

I learned on my dad's hankerchiefs when I was 10 or 11. I don't think DS has ever touched an iron, he has little to nothing that needs to be ironed. I guess I should probably teach him next time I ahve an iron out--which could be a year or two from now.

Anne